PoBiz Stock Index Update, 21 April 2018

Trumpist NEA to the Poetry CommunityTM: Immigrants Keep Out of American Poetry

As controversy raged over Robert Mueller’s continuing investigation of Russian meddling in US elections — as opposed to US meddling in Chilean, Cuban, Venezuelan, Ukrainian, Uzbekistanian, Iranian, Lower Slabovian (add your own country and take your pick) elections – President Big Yam continued his all-out assault on US democracy and culture in general, generating shock waves that reached as far as the otherwise self-satisfied and somnolent Poetry Community. The price of shares in PoFo, Inc, the venerable Blue Chip Bastion of Corporate-Managed Poetry, plummeted on the PCPX (Poetry Community Poetry Exchange) as it found itself exposed on the markets to criticism of its co-sponsorship with the NEA’s (National Enema for the Arts) Trumpist attack on Zambian refugee, Allan Monga. Monga, who sought asylum in in the US in 2017 to escape continuing widespread violence in Zambia, won the Maine state Poetry Out Loud contest, but was denied the right to travel to the Imperial Capitol to compete with his prize winning recitations.

NEA spokespeople, while eschewing the administration motto, Make America G(rabby ) r(acist) e(agle-fucking ) a(tavistic) t(hugs) Again, nevertheless cited the fact that Monga is not a US Citizen as justification for excluding him. PoFo, Inc. meanwhile, has maintained silence as worldwide outrage grows.

* BREAKING NEWS *

PoFo, Inc. shares continued to fluctuate wildly on the PCPX in response to a US Federal Court ruling that the NEA cannot exclude Allan Monga from the national Poetry Out Loud contest because his exclusion amounts to discrimination against asylum seekers and is a violation of federal civil rights laws. Other less legally minded analysts observed that the selective exclusion was jingoistic, heartless, anti-poetry, and opportunistically in line with the growing nationalist fervor fanned by President Big Yam and his regime of old, tight-assed, multimillionaire white boys. The NEA acquiesced to the court’s decision, although its spokesperson was heard to mumble something about building a culture wall as they left the podium. PoFo, Inc., in a desperate attempt to salvage its crumbling reputation, issued a press statement saying they were “happy” with the decision. When asked how the PoFo could now be “happy,” after fully and “happily” endorsing the right-wing rules of the contest, the PoFo spokesperson quickly exited the dais in the manner of Sarah Sanders.

Attempts to contact AvantPo, Intl., for their views on the developing situation failed, as they are on holiday in China and can’t be reached for comment.